Genetics vs Nutrition: What Research Shows
Wildlife biologists agree that the three things essential for maximum body weight and antler growth in free-ranging white-tailed deer are age, genetics, and nutrition. Numerous studies have been done that to show what impact your deer management plan can have. Read more…
The Virginia Appalachian Carnivore Study: Black Bears & White-tailed Deer in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia
A unique study using video camera collars gave researchers insight into how much of black bears' diet is made up of white-tailed deer. Read more…
Hunters for the Hungry: 33 Years of Caring for Virginians in Need!
The statewide Hunters for the Hungry program has provided more than 7.9 million pounds of venison to needy Virginians over the past 33 years. This program has become one of the most successful of its kind in the country today. Read more…
When Your Deer Disappear
Understanding deer and how they utilize your property throughout the hunting season is the key to achieving your yearly goals. Read more…
The November Payoff: How We Target and Harvest Mature Mountain Bucks During the Rut
Persistence kills mature bucks. But how much due diligence are you willing to put in on your target bucks? Read more…
Crossgun? Please.
So why has the crossbow been such a struggle to gain acceptance today as an archery tool? Read more…
Stick on a String for More Bucks
When you think you’ve tried it all, take advantage of the technique our author has learned about from a veteran deer hunter! Read more…
Continuing Education: The Backbone of Wildlife Research
The Virginia Deer Hunters Association (VDHA) Lee Roy Gordon Scholarship Grant has helped advance wildlife research and knowledge. Read more…
The Blame Game
Deer aren't the only forest residents to consume valuable acorns! Turkeys, bears, squirrels, chipmunks and many other native species do as well. Read more…
A Family Tradition
The bowhunter that accepts the ultimate challenge and choses traditional archery equipment for their hunt has taken the experience to the highest level! Read more…
The Virginia Appalachian Deer Study: Conclusions to Understanding Population Trends of Whitetails in the Allegheny Mountains
Virginia Appalachian Deer simulations can infer that increasing fawn survival rates should be a secondary concern compared to limiting adult female harvest. Read more…
Prescribed Fire: Why and How We Use It on Our Private Property
One habitat management technique stands above the rest. When you couple two techniques, however, it has a multiplier effect for wildlife. Read more…
Deer Hunting Virginia’s Late Season
Hunting the late bow and muzzleloader seasons in Virginia can be a rewarding experience as it is some of the most challenging times to hunt. Read more…
Staying Put on Stand All Day
Deer hunters that are committed to stay all day have advantage when hunting mature bucks that often pattern the movement of morning and afternoon hunters. Read more…
An Evolving Sport
It's easy to forget just how different hunting is today than it was 100 years ago with new techniques and equipment developed every year Read more…
Herds Without Hunters
Former DWR Deer Project Leader Matt Knox explains why he believes that the decline in deer hunters represents the biggest statewide deer management issue Read more…
Cut, Burn, Repeat: Our Plan for Managing Hunting Property in the Appalachian Mountains
Building and maintaining food plots throughout your property increases native biodiversity. Timber management is the next step to habitat management. Read more…
A Student of the Old-School Playbook with Years of Treasured Memories
Some of today’s best hunters learned the ways of the whitetail from the “old timers whose skills still lead the way for our present-day deer hunter! Read more…
The First Two Weeks of November and the Bucks are on the Move: Part 2
The data gives a look into when is your best chance of harvesting a buck or a mature buck using data from the hunters of previous years. Read more…
The First Two Weeks of November and the Bucks are on the Move: Part 1
With three months to deer hunt, when is the best time to harvest a buck? Simple--it is the first two (or three weeks) of November. Read more…
Trail Camera Scouting: A Means for Setting Quality Deer Management Guidelines
Low-impact, 24/7 trail camera scouting provides Quality Deer Management clubs and landowners with a means to identify older age class bucks. Read more…
Food Plot Work: A New Level of Satisfaction!
While planning your food plots, research the products and equipment you are considering purchasing to make educated decisions. Read more…
Psych 101: How Psychological Concepts Help Explain Deer Behavior (and Help the Deer Hunter)
Understanding the ways of the whitetail is a never-ending study. The challenge for hunters is to think like a deer, and recognize how their behavior changes Read more…
Good Hunter Landowner Relations – A Must For Our Future!
Maintaining good relationships between hunters and landowners is key to being a successful hunter as private land hunts often yield astounding results Read more…
The Virginia Appalachian Deer Study: How Fawns are Faring West of the Blue Ridge Mountains
A study on three public lands is exploring fawn mortality and its causes. To protect native populations of deer it's important to be careful how you drive. Read more…
Do White-Tailed Fawns Breed?
At what age are white-tailed fawns capable of breeding? It depends on a few different factors, both biological and environmental. Read more…
Rut Tips from Hunters That You Don’t See on TV
Veteran deer hunters share tips about hunting the three phases of the rut. During the rut the big bucks throw caution to the wind making theme easier to hunt. Read more…
It Affects Us All
Poaching affects all law-abiding hunters as it reduces the local deer population and can lead to the negative impressions of hunters by the public. Read more…
The Green Top Outdoor Expo: the Premier Eastern Seaboard Event!
The 2021 Green Top Outdoor Expo is shaping up to be another great event and one that all outdoor enthusiasts should plan to attend. Read more…
The Most Important Week of a Fawn’s Life
The first 7 days of a white-tailed deer's life are the most important. For most of the fawns born in Virginia this will be somewhere between May and June. Read more…
Burning for Better Wildlife Habitat
Department of Wildlife Resources' employee Katie Martin explains how private landowners can use prescribed fire to develop wildlife habitat. Read more…
Dancing with Lady Luck
Hunting methods and advanced gear have revolutionized whitetail hunting, but it still requires behavioral knowledge, persistence, and skill. Read more…
Timber Management Can Help Wildlife in the George Washington and Thomas Jefferson National Forest
Logging mature timber is a must to restore new growth to the forest floor. Poor timber management is a formula for declining wildlife habitat. Read more…
The Virginia Appalachian Deer Study: Understanding Population Dynamics of Whitetails West of the Blue Ridge
An ongoing study seeks to define whitetail deer populations west of the Blue Ridge using radio collars designed to fall off as the fawns mature. Read more…
Late Season Madness
Tagging a mature buck in the late season is a challenging game plan with the clock ticking during the peak of whitetail elk rut. Read more…